Retail Media for Non-Retail Brands: 7 Plays B2B Marketers Can Steal

Executive summary

Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are no longer just for CPGs fighting over end-caps. “Non-endemic” advertisers—brands that don’t sell through a retailer—can now tap RMNs’ first-party data, premium surfaces, and closed-loop measurement. That includes banks (Chase Media Solutions), hospitality (Marriott Media), mobility (Uber Advertising), grocery delivery (Instacart), and big-box retail (Walmart Connect)—all with inventory and segments that B2B marketers can ethically and effectively use to warm accounts, run geo pilots, and validate lift before scaling. Instacart Investors+3Chase Media+3Yahoo Finance+3

Why this matters now: retail/commerce media keeps accelerating; IAB estimates US retail media revenue reached $53.7B in 2024 (+23% YoY). Networks are increasingly welcoming non-endemic spend to grow. IAB+1

RMNs in one minute (for B2B folks)

What they are: ad platforms powered by a retailer/commerce company’s first-party data and channels (site/app, in-store screens, email, CTV partners). StackAdaptWhat’s new: many RMNs actively support non-endemic categories—finance, auto, telco, travel, QSR, insurance—on and off their properties. walmartconnect.com+1Beyond retail: “Commerce-adjacent” networks like Chase Media Solutions (80M customers), Marriott Media (Bonvoy guests), Uber Advertising (riders & eaters) behave like RMNs for audience, context, and attribution. Chase Media+2Yahoo Finance+2

The 7 plays (steal these)

1) Account Warm-Up with Non-Endemic Offsite

When to use: You have a named ABM list; awareness is near zero.How it works: Use an RMN’s offsite inventory (their 1P audiences targeted across the open web) to deliver 2–3 creative “promises” to likely decision-makers near your target facilities. Walmart Connect explicitly supports non-endemic categories like financial services, insurance, auto, QSR, travel, and more. walmartconnect.comCreative: “One-line outcome + proof” banners; rotate vertical-specific variants.Primary KPI: Qualified visits (deep scroll + CTA views), not CTR.Why it’s special: Purchase-behavior proxies + geo filters beat generic interest targeting.

2) Conference-City Takeover (Mobility + Hospitality)

When to use: Big trade show or sales summit.How it works: Run Uber Journey Ads (in-ride/in-app video) plus hotel Wi-Fi/room-TV/onsite screen placements via hospitality networks to surround attendees for 3–5 days. Marriott’s network gives access to Bonvoy-identified guests across owned channels; Uber offers ride-context formats. Yahoo Finance+1Creative: “Visit Booth 318 → get the 10-minute ROI audit.”KPI: Booth scans, meeting shows, demo starts; add a vanity URL/QR per city.Bonus: Attribute exposure to meetings by time+location stamp.

3) SMB Owner Conquest on Delivery Apps

When to use: You sell payments, POS, scheduling, or supply-chain tools to restaurant/retail owners.How it works: Target Uber Eats audiences or run placements inside order flows (“post-checkout,” “journey”) with operator-friendly messaging. Uber’s ad biz has scaled rapidly—proof the inventory is real, varied, and increasingly measurable. Uber+1Creative: “Stop 2 hours of end-of-day admin—free setup this week.”KPI: Lead quality (industry, employee count), not just clicks.

4) Purchase-Graph Targeting with a Bank RMN

When to use: You need high-intent, purchase-based targeting signals.How it works: Use Chase Media Solutions to reach segments built on first-party spend data (via merchant category codes) and deliver cash-back offers or education that bridges to your B2B funnel. (Think: fleet cards, corporate travel tools, SMB finance apps.) Chase Media+1Creative: “Spend less on processing, more on product—see how in 4 minutes.”KPI: Offer activations → demo requests; match back via hashed emails.

5) ‘Prosumer’ Adjacency on Grocery RMNs

When to use: Your buyer is also a household decision-maker (owners, managers).How it works: Run Instacart placements to reach store-visiting and delivery shoppers; pair with shoppable CTV partners (e.g., Roku integration) for upper-funnel lift + site visits. PR NewswireCreative: “Owner’s checklist: 5 ways to reduce food cost variance (free sheet).”KPI: Qualified visits, tool downloads; evaluate geo-cell lift across test vs. control.

6) In-Store Digital Screens for Local ABM Cells

When to use: You sell local services (logistics, staffing, fleet, clinics) and want hyper-local reach.How it works: Use in-store networks (e.g., Walmart’s 160k screens & audio across 4,600+ stores) around your ABM clusters to build familiarity before rep outreach. walmartconnect.comCreative: 6-second loop: Promise → Proof → Next step (“Free route audit in JLT”).KPI: Rep connect rate, booked meetings in exposed zips vs. control.

7) Geo Pilots That Prove Causality (4-week sprints)

When to use: You need evidence for CFOs before scaling.How it works: Pick 3 matched geo cells → run an RMN mix (offsite + mobility + in-store) with a single CTA. Hold out 3 control cells. After 4 weeks, compare qualified visits, inbound demos, pipeline.Why RMNs: their 1P audiences + clean rooms/partners make match-back and incrementality more credible than cookie-based web buys. (Instacart/Roku is one example of robust cross-channel measurement.) PR Newswire

Quick RMN shortlist (beyond Amazon)

Network	Why B2B should care	Example use case
Walmart Connect	Non-endemic categories (finance, auto, insurance, travel, QSR) across on-site, in-store, and offsite	ABM warm-up + local screens around target plants/offices. walmartconnect.com+1
Instacart Ads	Grocery audience at massive scale + CTV/measurement tie-ups	Prosumer adjacency; geo pilots with shoppable CTV measurement. PR Newswire
Uber Advertising	In-ride attention + Eats order flow; high time-in-view	Conference-city takeovers; SMB owner messaging in-app. Uber+1
Marriott Media	Bonvoy 1P data; owned hotel surfaces	Surround business travelers during industry events. Yahoo Finance
Chase Media Solutions	80M customers; spend-graph segments with closed loop	Purchase-based targeting for SMB/finance tools. Chase Media

Creative that works (and why)

• Outcome in 7 words. Lead with the business change, not your features.

• One offer per ad. “Book the 10-minute ROI audit.”

• Vertical proof. Mini-case (“Dubai restaurant → –22% dwell time”).

• Native formats. In-ride video (Uber), room-TV/onsite screens (Marriott), in-store DOOH (Walmart), quick shoppable CTAs (Instacart). Uber+2Yahoo Finance+2

Measurement (make this CFO-proof)

Plan like a science experiment:

1. Design cells (3 test / 3 control) matched on population & baseline demand.

2. Single CTA across channels: /audit or scannable QR.

3. Primary KPIs:

   • Qualified visits (scroll + dwell + CTA views)

   • Sales-accepted meetings (ABM)

   • Pipeline in 28–60 days (match-back via hashed email/clean room)

4. Benchmarks to watch: retail/commerce media is growing rapidly; don’t chase CTR—optimize for lift and quality. IAB

Save-worthy checklist (pin this)

•  ICP clarified (verticals, company size, geo cells)

•  1–2 RMNs shortlisted for non-endemic access

•  ABM list mapped to geo & event calendar

•  Single CTA + landing with 60-second pitch

•  Attribution plan (geo holdouts + match-back)

•  Creative set: outcome line, vertical proof, appointment CTA

•  4-week pilot → CFO-ready readout

FAQs (fast)

Isn’t retail media only for brands sold in the store? Not anymore; networks are courting non-endemic advertisers to grow revenue. EMARKETER+1We’re B2B—why target shoppers? Because decision-makers are people: business travelers (Marriott), restaurant owners (Uber Eats), households that also run a shop. Context + 1P data beats broad interest buckets. Yahoo Finance+1What about budgets? Start with geo pilots (e.g., three cities × four weeks). If lift holds, add a second network or expand geos.

Ready to pick your network?

Book a 20-minute audit and we’ll shortlist 2–3 RMNs that truly match your ICP, map a 4-week geo pilot, and share creative that converts.

→ Connect with us here

Sources & further reading

• IAB/PwC Internet Ad Revenue: Retail media $53.7B in 2024 (+23% YoY). IAB

• eMarketer explainer on non-endemic retail media. EMARKETER

• Walmart Connect: non-endemic categories; in-store screen scale. walmartconnect.com+1

• Instacart: new ad solutions; Roku partnership for shoppable/measurement. Instacart Investors+1

• Marriott Media: 2025 brand/media network expansion. Yahoo Finance

• Uber Advertising: formats & growth; investor disclosures. Uber+1